The present invention relates to casino table games, and more particularly, to a game which offers slot-machine type play in a table game environment. Slot machines attract a large number of players in casinos due to the ease of use and the simplicity of the wagers offered. Accordingly, slot machines account for a substantial share of the profit in gaming casinos.
However, one drawback of slot machine play is that it lacks appeal for certain types of players since there is no interaction with other players or a dealer. Additionally, the amount of wagers is limited on each play based on the number and denomination of coins which will be accepted by the slot machine. Slot machine play also lacks the comfort of many table games, such as blackjack, where a player is seated at the playing table. This is especially important for older players and senior citizens who do not want to stand at a slot machine or sit on a stool at a slot machine during extended periods of play.
It would be advantageous to casinos to provide a game which has the appeal and simplicity of slot machine play, yet which is offered in a table gaming environment in order to provide the benefit of interaction between players as well as between the player and the dealer. It would also be advantageous to provide a game which removes the limits imposed by a gaming machine on the amount which can be wagered on a given play. It would be similarly advantageous to casinos to provide a new table game for table game players which can have a relatively high rate of play while offering multiple wagering opportunities for the player for each play or deal of the game.
Briefly stated, the present invention provides a method of playing a card game. The method includes:
(a) providing a deck of cards having at least five different symbols thereon and a gaming table with a plurality of player positions, the gaming table including five card receiving boxes for each player position and two card receiving boxes for a dealer position which are adapted to receive cards dealt from the deck, and each player position including three ante receiving areas;
(b) shuffling the deck of cards by the dealer;
(c) placing an ante in at least one ante receiving area by a player at each of the plurality of the player positions;
(d) the dealer dealing a card from the shuffled deck into each of the first two card receiving boxes for each player and dealing three additional cards to the player, and the dealer dealing a card into each of the two card receiving boxes for the dealer to create a dealer hand, at least one of the cards in the dealer hand being dealt face up;
(e) each player examining the three additional cards dealt to the player and placing the cards in the third, fourth and fifth card receiving boxes, and each player electing to play the unexamined first and second cards in the first and second player card receiving boxes or the dealer hand in combination with the examined player cards to form the player hand;
(f) determining if a three-card winning combination is present in the player hand, and if one of the three-card winning combinations is present, paying off the player who placed the ante in the ante receiving area for the three-card winning combination;
(g) determining if a four-card winning combination is present in the player hand, and if one of the four-card winning combinations is present, paying off the player who placed ante in the ante receiving area for the four-card winning combination; and
(h) determining if a five-card winning combination is present in the player hand, and if one of the five-card winning combinations is present, paying off the player who placed the ante in the ante receiving area for the five-card winning combination, and if one of the five-card winning combinations is not present, the dealer collecting any ante remaining on the gaming table.